Bodacious Bay answers questions with Cotillion Stakes victory
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Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said he didn’t know what to expect from Bodacious Bay in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes on Saturday at Parx Racing. Jockey Micah Husbands knew even less. But at the top of the stretch, all became startlingly clear.
With a threadbare résumé from another trainer, which included a maiden victory three months ago and a runner-up finish in a Grade 3 stakes, Joseph’s newest Grade 1 star got the jump on a Kentucky Oaks winner and never let her in the conversation. Always a Runner, the 9-5 favorite trained by Chad Brown, was forced to settle for second again, dominated by a new rival in the 3-year-old filly division.
“This was a huge win,” Joseph said. “We feel like next year, we could have the best filly in the country. A lot of good fillies are going to retire, and we feel like our filly is only now getting good.”
Since winning the Kentucky Oaks in May, Always a Runner had finished behind only Counting Stars, still considered by some to be the best 3-year-old filly in the country. Bodacious Bay is a bold second name to join that list.
Following her fourth start for Arnaud Delacour, a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, the Not This Time filly was acquired through a private sale and entered Joseph’s barn in August. The trainer said he liked the pedigree and her early results, and he decided to test her in the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion after four workouts at Saratoga.
Husbands was working with only a loose description of Bodacious Bay when he rode her on Saturday. The 23-year-old jockey said he was focused on making the most of her early speed, though that proved difficult in the field of nine 3-year-old fillies.
My Miss Mo, Bodacious Bay’s new stablemate who defeated her in the Monmouth Oaks in July, broke sharpest from the rail and went to the early lead under Tyler Gaffalione. The two-time graded stakes winner completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.81 seconds and half-mile in 47.99.
“We thought there was going to be more speed and there wasn't, so I didn't want to take her away from her ‘A’ game because she's shown that she likes to be up there,” Husbands said. “Nobody was really pressing us, so I thought, why not leave her alone and try to keep her in the clear and not pressure my stablemate?”
Husbands was understandably careful to avoid a duel into the first turn and remained in second early on the backstretch. He wasn’t afraid to advance, however, and as the field was approaching the far turn, he made an early move to put Bodacious Bay in front.
Zany and Iron Orchard had nothing to offer from stalking positions, so when Bodacious Bay kicked clear turning for home, it put the closers at a massive disadvantage. Always a Runner and Measure, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Alabama last month, were both cutting back to 1 1/16 miles and were clearly struggling to get up to speed from farther back.
Husbands was working with a three-length advantage at the top of the stretch, while Always a Runner and Jose Ortiz were 2 1/2 lengths clear of Measure and Manny Franco. But in the end, Bodacious Bay was hardly a target, leaving those two to scrap for second while cruising home. She completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.60 and paid $12.20 to win, a relatively short payout after bettors made her the 5-1 second choice.
Always a Runner finished second by a neck over Measure, who did not get the early pace scenario trainer Mark Casse sought.
Joseph gave Husbands credit for the perfect trip and went on to say a great deal more about the young rider.
“He’s fighting to prove his name, so I have to pick my spots where I give him the opportunity,” Joseph said. “The more he proves himself, the more I'm allowed to put him on horses, and owners have confidence in him.
"I think he's next-level. I think he's Flavien Prat or Irad Ortiz or Jose Ortiz. He's at that level of those riders. He's not there yet. Mathematically, he shouldn't even be doing what he's doing. He's 23 and hasn't even ridden 1,000 horses.”
After hearing these words relayed back to him, Husbands’s voice broke as he attempted to process one of the biggest wins of his career and his ongoing collaboration with Joseph. He and the trainer have won four Grade 1 races with four different horses in 2026.
“It brings my confidence more and just gets me rolling,” Husbands said. “I've been watching these guys for a while, since I was around 14, 15, and I'm just thankful to be doing it on this stage with them.”
Joseph said he was not sure if Bodacious Bay would run in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff this year, stating that he did not wish to push her along if she wasn’t ready and did not want to give her a break after a poor performance.
“Nitrogen is super,” Joseph said. “After that, you would say it's wide open, but Nitrogen is very, very good. If we went to the Breeders’ Cup and ran second and we taxed her, then you have to give her a break after. Does it make sense? Going to the Breeders’ Cup to run in second, I don't think it makes sense. I think we only have to go there if we feel like we have a chance to win.”
There is still plenty for the newest star of the division to prove, starting with experience beyond 1 1/16 miles. Beating Always a Runner and Measure at longer distances will be a decidedly more difficult feat, but a 3 1/4-length victory at this level remains a massive declaration. Joseph knows what he has in the stable now.
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